A hayride turned dangerous in upstate New York on Sunday when a tractor lost control, overturned and sent passengers flying during a weekly youth gathering. Three people were critically injured, while more than a dozen others required medical attention, authorities and local news outlets reported.
The wagon was carrying 19 passengers, most of them children, when it rolled at about 4:30 p.m. in Wellsburg, a small village near the Pennsylvania state line, according to WENY.
Chemung County Sheriff Bill Schrom said the John Deere tractor was towing the hay wagon along Comfort Hill Road toward Berwick Turnpike. As the vehicle approached an intersection, it reportedly entered the turn too quickly.
The tractor appeared to veer out of control as it accelerated toward the intersection. The driver then swerved right, causing the tractor to overturn and the wagon to separate, ejecting everyone aboard, Schrom told The New York Times.
At least 14 people suffered injuries, Schrom said. One person was flown to a hospital, while at least five others were transported by ambulance to Robert Packer Hospital. Eight additional victims made their own way to medical care, according to authorities.
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Three of the injured people were listed in critical condition, RochesterFirst reported.
Officials have not said how many children were hurt, although witnesses indicated that children made up most of the hayride’s passengers.
The group was made up of German Baptists, members of an Anabaptist religious community that had gathered for a youth event on the day of the crash, RochesterFirst reported.
Investigators are continuing to examine the Wellsburg hayride accident and work to determine exactly what caused the tractor and wagon to overturn.
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